Chhattisgarh Assembly Elections 2018: Amid 'finger cutting' threats from Naxals, 70% voters turned up for 18 seats

The first phase polling for the 18 constituencies seats for the Chhattisgarh assembly elections has reached its end. The Election Commission of India announced over 70% voters turned up to cast their votes from 18 constituencies seats, including 13 Naxal-affected districts.

"Only one percent of EVM and 1.9 percent VVPATs were changed," said Sudeep Jain, Election Commission. 

However, the polling has seen drop by 5. 53% as compared to the last assembly elections in 2013, claims media reports.

Amid Naxals threatened the people in Dantewada's Madenda village to cut their fingers if the cast votes and the ink mark is seen on it, reported news agency ANI. Local says, "there are 263 registered voters in the village and many are voting even after the threat."

A tight security was beefed up in and across the polling booths and Naxal-affected areas. Over 1 lakh security personnel were deployed across the 18 seats polling booths in the Naxals affected districts following the first phase voting.

An IED blast attack in Dantewada was filled by Naxals in a move to scare the people to cast their votes, leaving 5 injured. Even encounter broke out between security forces & Naxals in Bijapur's Pamed area in which at least five Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) jawan injured, and around five Naxals killed.

The people from Chhattisgarh's red-belt areas, 13 seats affected by the presence of the outlawed Maoists like Kanker, Bastar, Dantewada, Jagdalpur were restricted from 7 am to 3 pm to cast their votes on security ground. And the other five seats voters from Rajnandgaon, Khujji, Khairagarh, Dongargaon and Dongargarh from 8 AM to 5 PM.

As per reports by ANI, over 61.47% in Kondagaon; 63.51% in Keshkal; 62% in Kanker; 58% in Bastar; 49% in Dantewada; 60.5% in Khairagarh; 64% in Dongargarh; 65.5% in Khujji.

The Polling for the second phase of the Chhattisgarh is scheduled for 20 November and the counting of votes will be done on 11 December along with Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Mizoram respectively.

Also read: Chhattisgarh Assembly Elections 2018: Amid Naxalite attack, EC's two-phase polling move in Chhattisgarh passed or failed?